Life’s a little weird,
And when we find someone whose
Weirdness is compatible with ours,
We join up with them and fall in
Mutual weirdness and call it Love.
– Dr. Seuss
Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon. – Doug Larson
Q: What is small, red and whispers? **
For this March 1st Wed wellness email, especially as spring and gardening season approaches (for us in the north country it's not too much longer to wait), let’s look at a few benefits of “real” food. I like what Michael Pollan, professor of science and environmental journalism at the University of California, Berkeley, and author of In Defense of Food, says, “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.” The “eat food” part refers to the “real” food of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and fish and meat, rather than “edible food-like substances that your great grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food, or foods with ingredients you can’t pronounce.” [For a few more rules for eating see some words Pollan shared with the CDC]
Why is it difficult for many of us to take in enough fruits and vegetables? We think they cost too much? Our taste buds are overly conditioned to higher sugar and fat preferences?
Not enough (or any) convincing media blitz to persuade us (can you recall many advertisements urging you to eat your veggies)?
The health ‘authorities’ are currently recommending that fruits and vegetables take up half your plate! Most of us are not heeding that call. I recently re-subscribed to a newsletter called “Environmental Nutrition” (EN) – in Vol 34G I read
“If there’s one simple thing you can do for better health it’s to eat more fruits and veggies. That’s why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention developed a National Action Plan (NAP) that provided a comprehensive approach to improve public health through increased fruit and vegetable intake. After five years, the report card is in, evaluating the progress schools, restaurants, supermarkets, and governments have made toward getting people to meet their recommended intake (2 cups of fruits and 2 1/2 cups of vegetable for the average adult.) The NAP report card gave adults an “F” for an average intake that falls far below recommended levels; only six percent achieved their goals in an average day. Food consumed away from home make up one-third of average daily calories, yet it only accounted for 11 percent of all fruit and vegetable intake.”
Here’s a few BENEFITS for increasing our diligence to consume those nutritious fruits and veggies:
--Safeguard against cancer: "At the Nov 2011 annual conference of the Am Institute for Cancer Research (AICR), researchers calculated that making nutritious dietary choices, maintaining a healthy weight, and engaging in regular physical activity can prevent about a third of the most common cancers. We know this, right? It’s just seems less appealing to act on it consistently. So, let’s remind ourselves. Nutrients such as folate from dark green vegetables, oranges and legumes and phytochemicals in garlic, cruciferous veggies (like broccoli), help turn on tumor suppressor genes and turn off genes that lead to cancer development and its ability to spread; and phytochemicals can provide antioxidant protection against DNA damage and fight inflammation." (EN, Vol 35:3, Mar 2012)
--Reduced heart disease: "Findings from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition Heart study, which included more than 300,000 people from eight different European countries...found that people who consumed at least eight portions (about 3 ounces) of fruits and vegetables per day had a 22 percent lower risk of dying from ischemic heart disease (characterized by reduced blood supply to the heart) than those who consumed fewer than three portions." (EN, Vol 34G)
--Improved brain function: "Australian researchers (Am J of Clinical Nutrition, Jan 2012) confirmed a link between B vitamins and brain function in older people. Previous studies have shown that low levels of the B vitamins folic acid and B12 may lead to rapid deterioration of brain function in the elderly, which can develop into forms of dementia. This study of 900 older adults (with “high levels of psychological distress) showed improvements in cognitive functioning, particularly in immediate and delayed memory performance, for the folic acid and B12 group, compared to the group receiving placebo treatment." (EN, Vol 35:3, Mar 2012)
--Elevation of mood: "A 2010 study published in British Journal of Psychiatry concluded that a dietary pattern characterized by vegetables, fruit, meat, fish and whole grains was associated with lower odds for major depression than the typical Western diet of processed or fried foods, refined grains, and sugary products." (EN, Vol 35:3, Mar 2012)
Yes, fruits and veggies may cost a little more than fast or refined food. I’m working at truly embracing that they’re worth the price: exchanging a few dollars initial output for a higher dividend of physical and mental health. Care to take the challenge of filling half your plate each meal with fruits and vegetables? (I’m only achieving half plate at suppertime – I’ve some progress to make!) For some ideas to help us get more fruits and vegetables for less cost and effort, see these 30-second videos made for the “MyPlate Fruits & Veggies Video Challenge” at the USDA MyPlate site.
May you enjoy the challenge of pursuing health, treat yourself with food kindness, and savor the bites of good and “real” food!
“Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” – Genesis 1: 29-30
** Answer to "What is small, red, and whispers?" - A hoarse radish!
Check out http://www.freshforkids.com.au/ for some more fun around fruits and veggies (recipes, ideas, games, and fun for kids especially – here’s a few more jokes to leave you smiling):
Q: What is square and green? A: A lemon in disguise.
Q: Why did the banana go to the doctor? A: Because it wasn’t peeling well.
Q: What did the mayonnaise say to the fridge? A: Close the door I'm dressing!
Q: What do you call an angry pea? A: Grump-pea.
Q: What did the father tomato say to the baby tomato whilst on a family walk? A: Ketchup.
“Cheerfulness and contentment are great beautifiers and are famous preservers of youthful looks.”
-Charles Dickens, novelist (1812-1870)
most of all was this:
A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. - Proverbs 11:25
With Valentine’s Day coming up, let’s take a quick look at something that contributes to strong relationships.
I quote from The New York Times online Health section article “The Generous Marriage”:
---
“Researchers from the University of Virginia’s National Marriage Project recently studied the role of generosity in the marriages of 2,870 men and women. Generosity was defined as “the virtue of giving good things to one’s spouse freely and abundantly” — like simply making them coffee in the morning — and researchers quizzed men and women on how often they behaved generously toward their partners. How often did they express affection? How willing were they to forgive?
The responses went right to the core of their unions. Men and women with the highest scores on the generosity scale were far more likely to report that they were “very happy” in their marriages. The benefits of generosity were particularly pronounced among couples with children. Among the parents who posted above-average scores for marital generosity, about 50 percent reported being “very happy” together. Among those with lower generosity scores, only about 14 percent claimed to be “very happy,” according to the latest “State of Our Unions” report from the National Marriage Project.”
---
Kind generosity in the daily ‘little’ things is definitely a contributor to “very happy” at our house. Especially during the winter, each morning I bless my spouse Gregg for allowing me the luxury of a warm vehicle (the car I drive sits overnight in our heated garage/workshop). It is a self-sacrificing act of kindness, and just one example of his generosity.
What acts of generous kindness might you consider offering to family, friends, and strangers? May you be generous and see kindness all around you!
Hallelujah
Everyone should be born into this world happy
and loving everything.
But in truth it rarely works that way.
For myself, I have spent my life clamoring toward it.
Hallelujah, anyway I'm not where I started!
And have you too been trudging like that, sometimes
almost forgetting how wondrous the world is
and how miraculously kind some people can be?
And have you too decided that probably nothing important
is ever easy?
Not, say, for the first sixty years.
Hallelujah, I'm sixty now, and even a little more,
and some days I feel I have wings.
~ Mary Oliver ~
(Evidence)
"Humor is emotional chaos remembered in tranquility."-James Thurber, writer and cartoonist (1894-1961)
Do you sometimes feel like it's tough to do the things you want to do? How about new year resolutions? have you made any, or not? I’ve taken a pass on the resolution thing for the last many years. But this year I’m deciding to give gentle attention to establishing a few healthier habits while letting go of some unhealthy ones.
At a seminar I attended a couple months back - “How the Brain Forms New Habits: Why Willpower is Not Enough,” sponsored by Institute for Brain Potential and presented by Bill M. Kelly (PhD/Professor in the Dept of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Dartmouth) - I gleaned a few ideas to apply for a more resolute life this year.
And in the chance that you too might want to form any new health habits, for this January’s 1st Wednesday wellness email I pass along some suggestions. Being rather fascinated with this stuff I get long-winded: you’re invited to merely look for the section of interest and scan just that if this seems too long [as it may well be for many ;-)].
Understanding habits and your reward system
*Habits, both good and bad, are learned and maintained by rewards, and are activated by dopamine circuits associated with motivation and reward (reward is not necessarily pleasure, euphoria, or feel good; rather, it is something that increases the likelihood of repetition even though not always associated with positive affect). Reward takes you from an immediate state of good to great, ok to good, or from bad to ok or less bad; reward equals reinforcement.
*A habit can be a behavior, thought, or emotional response. Bad habits cause immediate benefit, but long-term harm with repetition; good habits cause immediate and long-term benefit.
*Correcting our conscious beliefs or expectations around value (of the habit or behavior) changes our dopamine neuron estimates (that is, the brain’s guess as to how desirable the behavior is, how much ‘reward’ it will bring, or what benefit will result; for example, being given a placebo “painkiller’ increased release of dopamine in persons anticipating a painful stimulus (Scott et al., 2007), dopamine neurons were activated because the expectation was for relief).
Eliminating unhealthful “bad” habits
*Be aware of overvaluing bad habits that have been linked to
-other rewards (like pretty faces, symbols of power, successes, or relief – advertisers know this!), or
-secondary gain: like social acceptance – fitting in by eating the junk food your ‘friends’ are eating; like having people feel bad for us and help us – getting a back massage when we hurt; like getting out of doing something we fear – being sick to avoid the math test; like getting attention for bad behavior – joking around in class; like escaping tedium – smoke breaks, chocolate/alcohol intake.
*Notice maladaptive associations: identify harmful habits, track the context of what triggers or precedes the habit, then avoid the triggers (such as, don’t go to drinking parties if alcoholic), create competing good habits off the same trigger (for example: take five deep breaths rather than smoking, when feeling anxious; get a cup of tea when feeling bored instead of eating a candy bar or cookie).
*Bring attention to when a habit isn’t working and initiate a new strategy (ex
ample: instead of responding defensively to negative input, take three deep breaths while determining to see the other person’s perspective).
*Link habits to values: explicitly identify and prioritize values and consider your habitual practices in the context of these values. Do your habits support or conflict with your values? When values and habits conflict, reminding yourself of the value and developing a plan to live by the value can help change habits (such as, if I value a healthy body, the practice of counting calories is a constant reminder that I have a long-term goal and that I value physical wellness).
Establishing healthy “good” habits
*Develop good habits by observation: we unconsciously mimic the behaviors, feelings, and thoughts of those around us; our brains have mirror neurons that fire as if we were doing what we are watching others do and those neurons map onto our motor systems. So hang out with people choosing desirable lifestyles.
*Develop good habits by imagery: practicing or running through a new behavior in our imagination can speed learning, as the brain goes through some of the same patterns for firing and activation when imaging as when actually doing. Some examples:
1. Real practice playing the piano reshaped representation of the fingers in the motor cortex; one week of imagining playing the piano for two hours a day caused the same motor cortex restructuring; This plastic human brain cortex article cites a Pascual-Leone 1996 study finding.
2. Two groups did a finger exercise for four weeks, one group did actual physical movement with the result of 30% stronger muscles at end, other group imagined the exercise with result of 22% stronger; for more see Guang Yue and Kelly Cole article abstract and the finding is mentioned here.
*Create new associations to encourage good habits (for example: spinach makes you strong, eating fruits and vegetables clear your skin or boost your immune system hearty, doing yoga impresses women or eases your back pain, prayer quiets your anxiety).
*Avoid merely depriving yourself, rather enrich your life (we need to REPLACE bad habits with good ones; try devising enticing rewards for healthful habits!).
Set up “artificial” more immediate rewards to encourage behaviors whose benefits are more long-term. For example:
Aim for weight loss: for 1st 5# lost - reward of getting a massage, for 2nd 5# loss - reward of purchase of arts and crafts floor lamp;
Aim to reduce, in half, amount of time or money spent on indulgences (such as eating out, intake of alcohol and sweets) – reward of ‘splurging’ by spending time doing centering prayer and learning about enneagram, reward of smart phone and data plan;
Aim to exercise 3x/week consistently: after 3 weeks - reward of purchase of brown trendy boots, after 6 we
eks- new jeans.
[Note: programs that reward for completing target behaviors are proven effective interventions for substance use and overeating, or so says workshop presenter Kelley, though I haven’t yet tracked down that research.]
*Understand the limits of willpower to NOT do something: willpower is not great at preventing bad habits because it requires active focus and holding the intention in working memory (you have to remember not to do it), which fills up your working memory and slows the orbitofrontal cortex from stalling your habit, so that, especially when multi-tasking, you will often do the bad habit before catching yourself. In short, trying not to do something will make you constantly think about it, and usually increases rather than decreases the behavior.
*Use willpower (or more accurately, your brain’s pre-frontal cortex) to your advantage to:
- evaluate your associations,
- connect “bad” habits to long-term consequences,
- pre-plan for and avoid high-risk situations,
- have an alternate solution ready,
- initiate a new strategy,
- decide to persevere through a difficult task.
*Take whatever small steps seem possible today (don’t wait until you are “ready to change”) – any little step in the right direction will reshape your brain and new steps will seem more manageable.
Reinforcing healthy habits
*Set up triggers for continuing the healthy behaviors:
- reminders (such as, use pictures or other visual cues, prompts, thought triggers like "when I catch self grumbling I will say three positives about the situation"),
- scheduling (plan time and opportunities for health habits),
- associations (such as, practice mindfulness: notice the pleasures associated with the healthy things you’re doing);
- making it easy to do the ‘right’ thing (create a physical space that facilitates the desired choice).
*Associate with social groups that value healthful living: attend support and mutual help groups, or find friend/s who model behaviors you desire or who can problem-solve with you barriers to improvements.
*Train up your autopilot (so as to continue to respond healthily when stressed, multi-tasking, or distracted) by practicing directed attention:
(1) learn to notice opportunities for healthy responses, such as looking for stairs to climb, whole food to eat, happy healthful people to hang with, things you can fix.
(2) learn to disregard opportunities for unhealthful responses, such as threats (ignore them), unsolvable problems (let ‘em go), sugary treats (someone else can eat them), trigger situations (plan to avoid).
*If prone to immediate gratification, focus on creating an environment that supports your movement toward health rather than trying to act better in an unsupportive environment:
- remove opportunities to do bad habits (some examples: skip all-you-can-eat buffets, use smaller dishware, forgo the liquor cabinet in the house or treats on your desk, watch shows on the internet instead of TV so that you have to consciously interact to watch the next show),
- focus on keeping your life rich with social support.
*Keep reducing stress (get enough sleep, eat at regular intervals, pace your work loads, develop a sense of control over stress such as pre-planning solutions to avoid crisis and learning what you can control and using this power to reduce exposure to the things you can’t control).
An aside for parents (just FYI in hopes of aiding, not to heap guilt on anyone): Kelley made the claim (I believe based on animal studies (like mother, like daughter, 2001) that stress responses are at least partly learned through early experiences with maternal response. Children of mothers who comfort and provide safety cues/assurances after stressors were more stress resilient. When mothers did not provide or didn’t have time to provide the safety cues, children were more prone to stress-related disease and more prone to addictive disease later in life.
*Foster adaptability and creativity and prefrontal cortex (the part of the brain most engaged in voluntary and conscious behavior regulation) effectiveness through
- challenging yourself with non-threatening problem-solving games (play!),
- trying out diverse strategies in situations, and
- accepting a measure of failure when trying out new things.
What I most take home from all of this can be summarized by: letting go of bad habits for healthy habits will improve my life, and I can aid that by REPLACING the bad habits, rather than focus on depriving myself.
That “take away” encourages me: it makes it seem doable. I’ve noticed as well that it’s God's heart to urge us toward letting go of the harmful so as to embrace what will benefit or “profit” us.
“I am the LORD your God, who teaches you to profit, Who leads you in the way you should go.” – Isaiah 48:17b.
Believing that all good is from God, I wish for you that God (however you define him/her) will be with you this year in pursuing all things good and profitable and well.
On Waking, by John O’Donohue
I give thanks for arriving
Safely in a new dawn,
For the gift of eyes
To see the world,
The gift of mind
To feel at home
In my life.
The waves of possibility
Breaking on the shore of dawn,
The harvest of the past
That awaits my hunger,
And all the furtherings
This new day will bring.
